The hearers to collection they aim at it,Īnd botch the words up fit to their own thoughts That carry but half sense: her speech is nothing, Spurns enviously at straws speaks things in doubt, There’s tricks i’ the world and hems, and beats her heart Gentleman: She speaks much of her father says she hears Gentleman: She is importunate, indeed distract: QUEEN GERTRUDE: I will not speak with her. And it opens thusly (lines that merit attention are bolded): If, while the men of the play were scheming and faffing about, the play pivoted on the actions of a middle-aged woman on one side, and a teenage girl on the other.įirst off – my mistake: it’s Act 4 Scene 5, not scene one. Just imagine how classroom discussions, and essays in literary academic journals would go if it were read that Ophelia did not break under the weight of a cruel world, but instead had to be eliminated because she knew too much, and was on the brink of inciting a rebellion against King Claudius (Yes, that’s actually alluded to in the text). Reblogging myself already, because my brain won’t let go of it. So what if suicide is not a recurring theme of the play? How does that change things? By Queen Gertrude (probably).Īnd I can’t help but wonder how this play would be taught and performed if this interpretation were the standard oneĪ bit of a presentation by Shakespearean actor and scholar, BenĬrystal, on his interpretation of the “To be, or not to be?” soliloquy,Īnd how he no longer thinks Hamlet was suicidal at that point in the play, either (though he was, earlier on): Ben Crystal talks about Original Pronunciation, 20 July 2017 (it’s at a point about 40 minutes in to the whole thing). Ophelia did not commit suicide – she was murdered. So I’m just going to post my conspiracy theory Thesis Statement here: But at this point, I don’t think the required energyįor that will ever come – at least, not for the long essay format. Just waiting for me to get the energy and mental focus to write anĮssay outlining all the textual evidence in Act 4, scene 1 (Ophelia’s There has been a half-complete version of post on my Dreamwidth journal under a “Private” filter (my eyes only) here since 9 December, 2018, This is the literary criticism hill I have chosen to die on.
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